Sparks start strong then fade in loss to Storm

SEATTLE — The Sparks were fast out of the starting blocks Tuesday night, but Jewell Loyd and the Seattle Storm outkicked them to the finish line.

Loyd had 25 points and eight rebounds and the Storm rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit to beat the Sparks, 66-63, on Tuesday night.

Seattle (1-4) earned its first win of the season and avenged a 92-85 loss to the Sparks on Saturday with the second-largest comeback victory in franchise history.

Loyd was scoreless after the first quarter when Seattle trailed 24-6, but she totaled 24 points over the next two frames to help build a 52-48 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike blocked a shot with 20 seconds left in the fourth and she headed the other way for a reverse layup, but it was blocked by Ezi Magbegor. Seattle secured the defensive rebound and the Sparks elected not to foul as time ran out.

Ogwumike finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots and went 8 for 10 from the free-throw line to pace the Sparks (3-3), who had won two straight. Lexie Brown added 15 points and Jordin Canada, a two-time WNBA champion with Seattle, scored 11.

Rookie Jordan Horston scored a season-high 14 points and Magbegor had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Seattle. Loyd became the third player in Storm history to reach 4,000 career points, joining Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson.

Seattle only had four points through the opening nine minutes of the game but scored 29 in the second quarter to get within 38-35 at the break. The Storm made just five of their first 25 field goals.